Event details

From the intensely competitive world of Formula One, the talk will take a look at the differences between success and failure, strategy, teamwork, managing complex challenges and leadership.

Ross Brawn OBE

The University of Southampton and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution hold an Annual Lecture at the University campus as part of our Advanced Technology Partnership. The ATP involves active research projects in engineering and sponsored students in Ship Science and most recently in allied health sciences, management and mathematical sciences. A key element of the research is dissemination of the work through theses, papers and articles. This relationship is most valuable to the university and the Annual Lecture has become one of the most prestigious in the University Calendar.

Tickets are free but please register in advance.

Each year we invite an eminent speaker to deliver the lecture, which is based upon their own work that has focused on safety and engineering. We are pleased to welcome former motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal Ross Brawn to the University as our speaker this year.

The Lecture by custom will be delivered at 6.00pm and chaired by Mr Ian Dunn, Chief Operating Officer, University of Southampton.

Ross Brawn was born in Manchester in 1954. His early enthusiasm for all things mechanical led to a consuming hobby of building electric slot cars and racing them all over Britain and Europe. He undertook a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment in the early seventies, and, after he had finished, he took what he thought would be temporary diversion to work for Frank Williams F1 in 1976. Thirty seven years later he was still involved in a career in Motor Racing. He often mockingly commented that "one day I will get a proper job'.

His engineering and management career in motor racing brought a total of 22 World FIA Championships and a win at the 24hr du Le Mans. The peak of his career came with a rescue of the Honda F1 Team, renaming it BrawnGP and going on to win the 2009 F1 World Drivers and Constructors Championships in the team's first year. Brawn sold the team to Mercedes-Benz in 2010, and over three years established the template that has enabled Mercedes-Benz to win the 2014 and 2015 World Titles. Brawn has now retired from F1 and is focused on a number of personal projects, including the launch this year of his book 'Total Competition'

Parking and Access

Please contact us if you have any mobility difficulties or require special arrangements. Car Parking for the Turner Sims Concert Hall (Building 52) is situated on the Highfield Campus. Pay and display parking is available before 5pm. All university car parks are free after 5pm.